TRINIDAD – Viral video lands mum behind bars

PORT OF SPAIN – A 41-year-old mother of eight was arrested by police yesterday, mere hours after a Facebook video showing the woman beating her 22-month-old son about the body with her handbag went viral.

As the video drew scathing criticism from several quarters on Facebook, a party of police officers, led by Insp Baptiste and including PCs Lockitt, Mahabir and WPC Caraby, of Sangre Grande Child Protection Unit, went to the woman’s Rosseau Trace, Wallen Vale Road, Guaico home, where they arrested her.

The woman was taken to the Sangre Grande Police Station where she was interrogated by CPU officers. The child was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital for medical attention and a report was submitted to the CPU’s Sangre Grande unit.

The woman held in connection with the alleged abuse of her son is escorted into the Sangre Grande Police Station yesterday.

The video was reportedly taken by family members who were upset with the manner in which the woman was beating the child.

When T&T Guardian visited the woman’s home yesterday, police officers were escorting her to their vehicle to take her to the station. The woman’s mother, who herself had eight children, said she could not understand what would have driven her daughter to treat her grandchild in such a manner.

“I cannot understand why this first child of my eight children behaves in an uncontrolled manner towards her children, it pains me,” the woman said.

The grandmother also told T&T Guardian that the child’s father, who lives at Morvant, tried on several attempts to get custody of the child but was unsuccessful.

Police attached to the CPU later contacted the child’s father, and the two were reunited at the station. However, officers said an assessment will have to be done to determine if the father can fulfil the necessary requirements before he can get custody.

Enraged brothers of the arrested woman told T&T Guardian they were so angry with their nephew’s beating that they were about to beat their sister, but were stopped by their mother. This, however, led to the recording the incident and posting it online.

PC Lockitt was awaiting instructions on what charges will be laid against the mother last evening.

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